Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations to take out of them a people for his name.
Parallel Translations
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Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations to take out of them a people for his name.
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Simeon tolde how God at the begynnynge dyd visit the gentyls and receaved of them people vnto his name.
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Simeon hath declared, howe God first did visite the Gentiles, to take of them a people vnto his Name.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Acts 15:14 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
- Acts 15:7-9 When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe. God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
- Luke 2:31-32 which you have prepared before the face of all peoples; a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”
- Isaiah 43:21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.
- 1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
- Romans 1:5 through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake;
- Isaiah 55:11-13 so is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish that which I please, and it will prosper in the thing I sent it to do. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace. The mountains and the hills will break out before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn the cypress tree will come up; and instead of the brier the myrtle tree will come up. It will make a name for Yahweh, for an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain James confirmeth the calling of the Gentiles, out of…
James confirmeth the calling of the Gentiles, out of the word of God, therein agreeing to Peter.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first…
14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
Ver. 14. Simeon hath declared, &c.] q.d. He hath done it very well, only he hath not alleged any text of Scripture for confirmation; which therefore I will add. In Popish councils the Holy Scripture is in a manner set aside; and the decrees of fathers, schoolmen, and former councils brought in place thereof. At the Council of Basil, when the Hussites refused to admit of any doctrine that could not be proved by Scripture, Cardinal Cusan made answer, that the Scriptures pertained not to the being of the Church, but to the well-being only, and that they were to be expounded according to the current rite of the Church, qua mutante sententiam, mutetur et Dei iudicium. (Jac. Rev. de Vit. Pont.)
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Simeon, or Simon, the name of Peter; but St.…
Simeon, or Simon, the name of Peter; but St. Luke, being himself a Hebrew, writes it according as they pronounced it, and not so contracted as the Greeks wrote it.
A people; there were some at all times probably amongst the Gentiles who did fear God, as Job and his three friends; but they did not make a people, or such a number as is here spoken of.
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For his name: God takes out of the world a people for his name, that is,
1. For himself; as, Pro 18:10, the name of the Lord is put for the Lord himself.
2. For to call upon his name, as also for to be called by his name.
3. For his glory and honour, and to magnify his name.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Simeon hath declared how God at the first did…
Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles,.... James begins with taking notice of Peter's speech, and agrees to it, and confirms it; for by Simeon is not meant, as some have thought, the Simeon that took Christ in his arms, Luk 2:25 who had been dead long ago; but Simon Peter, who had spoken before. Simon and Simeon are one and the same name; the former is only a contraction of the latter in the Syriac language; Simeon was his pure Hebrew name, and James speaking to an assembly of Hebrews, uses it; and observes, that he had given a very clear and distinct narrative, how God at the first preaching of the Gospel, quickly after the day of Pentecost, was pleased to look upon the Gentiles, and show favour to them, and visit them in a way of grace and mercy, by sending the Gospel to them, and his Spirit to make it effectual: this was a gracious visit; he came and looked upon them, quickened them, and spoke comfortably to them, and bestowed special favours upon them; the set time for such a visit being come: the Arabic version renders it, "how God first promised"; referring to the promises concerning the calling of the Gentiles, which James afterwards confirms by citing a passage out of the prophets to the same purpose: the Syriac version, "how God began to choose out of the Gentiles": that is, by calling them by his grace; and the Ethiopic version, "how God first had mercy on the Gentiles"; who before had not obtained mercy:
to take out of them a people for his name; for himself, for his own glory, to call upon his name, and to be called by his name, to bear his name, and support his Gospel, cause and interest: the distinguishing grace of God may be seen herein; it was grace to visit them, to look upon them, when for many hundreds of years he had overlooked them, he had taken no notice of them; and it was distinguishing grace to take some out of them, to be a special and peculiar people to himself; to separate them from the rest by his powerful and efficacious grace, and form them into a church state, that they might show forth his praise and glorify him.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Simon hath declared - James, the apostle of the…
Simon hath declared - James, the apostle of the Hebrews, calls Peter by his Hebrew name. To take out of them a people for his name - That is to believe in him, to be called by his name.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 14. Simeon hath declared] It is remarkable that…
Verse 14. Simeon hath declared] It is remarkable that James does not give him even the title which he received from our Lord at the time in which he is supposed to have been made head of the Church, and vicar of Christ upon earth; so that, it is evident, James did not understand our Lord as giving Peter any such pre-eminence; and, therefore, he does not even call him Peter, but simply Simeon. It is truly surprising that such a vast number of important pretensions should rest on such slight foundations! If tradition, no matter how interrupted or precarious, did not lend its support, feeble as that necessarily must be, the cause tried by plain Scripture would fall to the ground.
To take out of them a people for his name.] To form among the Gentiles, as he had among the Jews, a people called by his name and devoted to his honour.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Simeon - This is a Hebrew name. The Greek…
Simeon - This is a Hebrew name. The Greek mode of writing it commonly was Simon. It was one of the names of Peter, Mat 4:18.
To take out of them a people - To choose from among the Gentries those who should be his friends.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Simeon--a Hebrew variation of Simon, as in Pe2 1:1;…
Simeon--a Hebrew variation of Simon, as in Pe2 1:1; (Greek), the Jewish and family name of Peter.
hath declared how God at the first--answering to Peter's own expression "a good while ago" (Act 15:7).
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did visit the Gentiles to take out of them--in the exercise of His adorable sovereignty.
a people for his name--the honor of his name, or for His glory.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. Speech of James of Jerusalem, Act_15:13-21.
4. Speech of James of Jerusalem, Act_15:13-21.
14. Simeon—Old fashioned Judean James (see note on Mat_10:3) must not say Peter; and he must pronounce Simon after its ancient form, Simeon. The characteristic fact is a unique proof of the accuracy of Luke’s report.
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A people for his name—Who shall bear his name, or give honour to his name. James in this verse repeats the point of Peter’s speech; in 15-18 he shows that it is in accordance with God’s predictions and plan according to old Jewish Scriptures.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 14. Simeon (Symeon)] This more Jewish form of the…
14. Simeon (Symeon)] This more Jewish form of the name of the Apostle Peter is found also at the commencement of St Peter’s second Epistle. The Jews after they came to have much intercourse with Gentiles had frequently two forms of name, one of which was employed on religious and solemn occasions, the other in intercourse with non-Jews and in the ordinary transactions of life. Thus in the Apocrypha (1Ma_5:17, &c.) the name of the Maccabean prince is written Simon, though on his coins it stands Symeon (see Gesenius, s.v.).
how God at the first] Better, how God did first visit, &c. It was not at the first, but some time after the mission of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles that Cornelius was converted. What St Peter had narrated was the first acceptance of a Gentile into the church.
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visit the Gentiles] In the old sense of “look upon,” and generally with the accompanying notion of kindness. (Cp. Luk_1:68; Luk_1:78; Luk_7:16; Heb_2:6.)
a people for his name] Thus “the chosen people” were no longer to be Jews only, and so those ceremonial ordinances which had hitherto marked out Jews from Gentiles might be seen to be unnecessary.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (14) Simeon hath declared . . .—The Greek form…
(14) Simeon hath declared . . .—The Greek form is Symeon, as in 2Pe_1:1. The use of the old Hebrew form of the Apostle’s name, instead of the more familiar Simon, was natural in the Galilean speaker, and is presumptive evidence in favour of our having a report from notes made at the time.
Did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people.—The two words present an emphatic contrast. The Jews claimed for themselves the exclusive right to the latter term. They alone were the “people,” the rest of mankind were the “nations”—the “heathen.” St. James proclaims that out of those heathen nations a people had been taken who were as truly God’s people as Israel had ever been. He, too, recognises the change as fully as St. Paul does, when in Rom_9:26 he quotes the memorable prophecy of Hos_1:10. St. James as well as St. Peter had, it is clear, profited by the private teaching referred to in Gal_2:2.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Symeon for Simeon, A.V.; rehearsed for declared, A.V.; first…
Symeon for Simeon, A.V.; rehearsed for declared, A.V.; first God for God at the first, A.V. Symeon. This is the only place (unless Symeon is the right reading in 2Pe_1:1) in which Simon Peter"s name is given in this Hebrew form, which is most proper in the month of James speaking to Palestine Jews. Singularly enough, Chrysostom was misled by it, and thought the prophecy of Simeon in Luk_1:31 was meant, How first; corresponding to the" good while ago" of ver. 7. Did visit, etc. The construction ejpeskeyato labein is very unusual, and indeed stands alone. The verb always has an accusative case after it, (Act_6:3 Act_7:23 Act_15:36) unless Luk_1:68 is an exception, which, however, it hardly is. There are two ways of construing the phrase. One is to consider it as elliptical, and to supply, as the A.V. and R.V do, ta. So Alford, who compares the construction in Luk_1:25, where ejp ejme) must be supplied. But this is a harsh construction. The other and better way is to take ejpeskeyato, not in the sense of" visiting," but of" looking out," or "endeavoring to find something." The sense of the infinitive after the verb is nearly equivalent to" look out for and took," literally, looked out how he might take. With a slight modification of meaning, Irenaeus (in "Speaker"s Commentary") renders it" Excogitavit accipere," "planned" or "contrived to take." A people for his Name; i.e. to be called by his Name. Laov was the peculiar designation of "the people" of God, answering to the Hebrew (comp. 1Pe_2:10, OiJ pote ouj laov nun de laov Qeou)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain 14. “Simeon hath expounded how God in the first…
14. “Simeon hath expounded how God in the first place interposed to take a people from the Gentiles in his name.” It is a great mistake to suppose that the gospel is to save the world. They will not have it, though it is free for them. This old fallen world is like a ship in mid-ocean, unseaworthy, irreparable and destined to founder; while the gospel is the lifeboat, not to save the old wrecking ship going down with her drunken crew and frolicking passengers, but to rescue every earnest fugitive, who will leave the ship, with all his fortunes to sink to the bottom of the ocean, escape for life, get aboard the old ship of Zion and sail away for glory. Here you see from James’s statement that the work of the gospel is simply “to take from the nations a people in his name,” i. e., the elect, as none others will receive the gospel.
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain See notes on verse 13
See notes on verse 13
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain at the first
at the first
Lit. for the first time, i.e. in the house of Cornelius. Act 15:8-11; Act 10:34-48; Act 11:12-18.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 15:14 Peter: Greek Simeon. Peter’s given name was Simon…
15:14 Peter: Greek Simeon. Peter’s given name was Simon (see Matt 16:17-19).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.